Government Affairs News & Materials

Craniofacial Anomalies Legislation Finds Support in both the House and Senate

July 2nd, 2007

AAOMS-supported legislation has been introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to protect and promote access to treatment for childhood deformities and craniofacial abnormalities such as cleft lip and palate.

The Children's Access to Reconstructive Evaluation & Surgery (CARES) Act of 2007 (H.R. 1655/S. 1588), championed by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.), seeks to amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require that group and individual health insurance coverage and group health plans that offer surgical benefits provide coverage for treatment of a minor child's congenital or developmental deformity or disorder due to trauma, infection, tumor, or disease.

AAOMS government relations consultant partners at Bryan Cave Strategies in Washington D.C. have worked closely with AAOMS leadership to educate, cultivate and mobilize support on Capitol Hill for this important legislation. These advocacy initiatives have included working directly with Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) to craft legislation to address these pediatric priorities at the beginning of this 110th Session of Congress, and reiterating the need for this key legislation during congressional meetings by AAOMS leadership and Day on the Hill participants.

Our champions on this issue will need our support to help generate action on this legislation. Please join the AAOMS grassroots campaign efforts and contact your U.S. Representative and Senators to ask them to support this very important legislation.